ILoveMakonnen Addresses Lil Nas X Comparisons, Queer Visibility, & Hip Hop Politics

Hip Hop has always celebrated originality, but not every kind of truth has been welcomed with open arms. When iLoveMakonnen came out in 2017, it was a moment that felt both groundbreaking and risky. It stood as proof that even a Grammy-nominated artist with a culture-shifting hit could face resistance once stepping outside the expected script.

Since then, the culture has shifted. Queer artists are no longer confined to the shadows. They’re headlining festivals, topping worldwide charts, and driving conversations in ways that were once unthinkable. Makonnen views that as progress, but also a reminder of how much he had to weather when the industry was less willing to embrace him fully.

“Somebody need to get crowned,” he told us. “I’ve already done storm through and did my big one. It ain’t just about me. I would love for everybody around them to love themselves, too.”

That clarity also frames how he views comparisons to Lil Nas X, another openly gay artist from Atlanta whose rise sparked debates about representation and recognition. What matters most to iLoveMakonnen isn’t competition, but why the industry still acts as gatekeeper over who gets heard and who doesn’t.

Make sure to check out more from our interview: What Happened To ILoveMakonnen?

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HNHH: Since you came out to the world back in 2017, there have been a lot of LGBTQIA and queer artists that have done the same. What do you think of them finding success in Hip Hop where there has been resistance?

ILoveMakonnen: I love it. I'm so happy that queer people are finally able to start getting some shine. You know, getting some space where you don't have to be hidden behind the scenes anymore. To where that person with all of that can come on stage, and your fans can love you for you, rather than you having to always water your style down and give it to these other people who cosplay these images. That's really the whole reason why I was doing it. Was like, I don't even care if the girls don't f*cking give me the f*cking crown.

Other sh*t is like, somebody need to get crowned. I've already done storm through and did my big one. It's like I need a b*tch to come do that for me somewhere. But I don't just be doing that sh*t for me. It's like I'm really community, I'm really for all of us, it ain't just about me. "I Love Makonnen," but I would love for everybody around them to love themselves, too. And then all together, we can be moving from a place of understanding and love, rather than all this jealousy, hate and comparison and all of this sh*t that be going on? So, you know, I'm thankful for it.

What I have noticed is, when it's time—you know the Lil Nas X situation where it's like, oh, people are trying to connect us. And it's like, I don't wanna—Lil Nas X is very like...I don't really—

HNHH: He's a different type of artist?

The fans keep saying, "Yo, he sounds like you." X is always like, I ain't inspired by that sh*t, type sh*t. Like, I'm not gonna acknowledge that that's a thing. So, it's always just been, oh, okay, I see you girl. I'm not mad at you. Do your big one. We're cheering for you. I—look, I don't...I'm not on that. I'm comfortable enough with me. Everybody can stand on stage next to me. Who wanna stand on stage next to me? That's all it is.

This is what your fans are telling me. They're coming to my page telling me that you sound like me. I ain't even heard you, but now they're saying, you're from Atlanta, you're gay, you're queer, too, and you did your thing. You got your whole "Old Town Road" thing and it's lit. I did a "Solo" video where I was on some cowboy sh*t back in 2016. Okay, this is cute, girl. I've done these tricks and I'm glad you're getting applauded for them. But, we been out here, and if you don't want to acknowledge me and the industry wants to try to put us at each other. It's like, there's no battle with me.

And let me tell you why there is no battle with me: because the industry can't give me the stage to battle anybody. That's why. So, I've been sitting over here on the sidelines just doing my thing in the underground and fans of the arts who love the arts. But, b*tches don't ever want to line me up on nobody's show to be no opener, none of that. Because they know the catalog is deep! It goes generational, it goes different genre. And it's all coming from this one. The original, not the remixer. These are my originals. I can play my originals and then we can play the remix with the features. So, I'm just being who I am, but the industry don't seem to want to support that no more.

I feel like I'm from the era of Lil Richard and Prince and Michael Jackson to where, like, b*tch, stand on it and bring it to the stage. Bring it to the stage. And yeah, I'mma let you open up for me. I'm doing a stadium and I'm gonna let you open up for me and we can see if they really f*ck with you. So, you can get out of your head. F*ck me saying I'm hating on you. I'm gonna bring you on the same opportunities, b*tch, and let you see. They see when I come out on the stage, the crowd interaction and the yelling is different. I'm real. They see realness.

HNHH: You've also previously stated you weren't trying to be out here dissing people, that you weren't a rapper that wanted to be involved in those back and forths. Yet, there were still times when you felt the pressure to do so.

ILoveMakonnen: But y'all see! Look at what was the biggest thing that just happened to music. So, this is the kind of sh*t that I was talking about to where it's like, I don't know if I want to do that to my fellow brother, friend, whoever this is, coworker. Because then it gets a little nasty. And if a b*tch would have been doing all that around me, then it's been a different—who would want to put themselves in that? Unless they cutting y'all five, $600 million checks, then maybe y'all would, but I'm nowhere considered for those. So, I'm like sh*t, fam. I'm trying to save my life, I'm trying to inspire my youth. I'm not trying to get them killed, I'm not trying to have them fighting over a rap song.

HNHH: And it reaches beyond just bar for bar, it goes into industry politics.

If I say, "Hey, I don't like you right now," that doesn't mean this company that I'm with said that they don't like you right now and all that, you know. I can change my mind. Like, "You know what? I actually f*ck with you!" you know? But when I got into the industry, I've just felt everything's so corporate and structured.

And I'm a very expressive type of person. I'm from Atlanta. I'm from the south. We can talk about you. We can hug you, cry with you, or don't f*ck with you for weeks. Come back. You can have a plate and all that, *laughs*. That's where I'm from. So, being of that culture and then joining the Hip Hop culture, I'm thinking, "Hey, they going to love all of this." And then it seems like, okay, they not really loving all of this.

Then, I started realizing, oh, okay, once you get in here, this is corporate. This ain't really out there back where everybody got an opinion and can say stuff. If you have an opinion and it offends someone, that's going to f*ck up your work, that's going to f*ck up your relationship, that's going to f*ck up everything. They don't give a damn how much they loved your song and sh*t. And so, I was like, oh, well, I have to learn the hard way.

I feel like, where I've been the last few years is, I've been making my exit from the industry, but at the same time, just making my entrance back to myself, you know? I've kind of, not like I've cut off people or nothing, but I just asked, "Can I go?" because I'm just trying to do me, you know. I mean, that's all I'm asking.

HNHH: Yeah, you've always made it clear that you want people to enjoy the music, vibe out, no drama.

ILoveMakonnen: Get money, people be safe, have a good time.

Read through the entirety of our interview with iLoveMakonnen:
What Happened To ILoveMakonnen?
ILoveMakonnen Opens Up About Drake, OVO, Regrets, & Kendrick Lamar
Why ILoveMakonnen Won’t Glorify Drugs After Losing Lil Peep & Juice WRLD